PORTLAND, Ore. — A man faces multiple charges, including felony assault and bias crime, after an attack Saturday in Portland's Old Town Neighborhood, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Portland Fire and Rescue responded Saturday to a call of a man, identified as Corey A. Nesenson, 42, lighting clothing on fire at Northwest Glisan and 6th Avenue.
Payton Thomas said he was visiting a friend who works nearby when they noticed Nesenson.
“About a third of the way into the block that we were on, he stopped and started lighting a fire," Thomas said.
Nesenson then started following an interracial couple, Thomas said.
"Jogging after them, he was really trying to attack them," Thomas said. "The guy thankfully turned around and looked and saw him; him and the female took off running."
Nesenson then started coming after Payton and his friend.
“By the time I looked up he was too close to me to put my hands out to stop him or punch him," Payton said. "The only thing I could do is resort to my military training and self-defense combat, and grabbed him and slapped him to the ground."
When police arrived, they saw Nesenson allegedly assaulting Payton, cutting him with scissors and biting him while yelling racial slurs, PPB said.
"I felt the bite; I didn’t see the scissors at that time, I was just concentrating on the bite," Payton said. "But then as I’m reaching for his head so I can subdue him, that’s when I see the scissors. When I reached for the scissors, he tried to stab me like two or three times."
Portland police were called and arrested Nesenson, who later spit on one of the officers.
Nesenson faces charges of second-degree assault, first-degree bias crime, aggravated harassment, reckless burning and fourth-degree assault.
Detectives believe Nesenson may have also chased a bi-racial couple and called them racial slurs right before the attack. They are still trying to find the victims and any witnesses.
Nesenson entered a plea of not guilty during an arraignment Monday. During the court appearance, he had two outbursts, asking to be taken to a "mental health hospital" and then a normal hospital. The judge found probable cause that Nesenson committed a violent felony and ordered that he be held. A preventative detention hearing was scheduled for Feb. 14 and the judge also said a grand jury will consider indictment on Feb. 21.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact PPB Detective Brett Hawkinson at brett.hawkinson@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 24-33521.
References
If you've been the victim of a bias crime assault, or you are witnessing one, immediately call 911.
If you've been the victim of a different bias crime and the suspect is no longer present, such as vandalism or graffiti, please call the PPB non-emergency line at 503-823-3333 or the non-emergency line for your local police department.
To learn more about bias crime investigations and reported bias/hate crime statistics in the city of Portland, please visit PPB's bias crime statistics website.
Follow the links below to learn more about bias crime under Oregon law:
- Bias Crime in the First Degree (oregonlaws.org)
- Bias Crime in the Second Degree (oregonlaws.org)